Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow

(NAFB) – While officials are discussing the next farm bill, funding the legislation could be more challenging than in previous years. Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow spoke during the recent Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit on Monday.

She says other than pursuing conservation funds, there aren’t a lot of extra funding sources they can go to when putting the bill together.

“We will be dealing with a flat-funded Farm Bill, and so, that will be our challenge at this point. We have done disaster assistance through appropriations now, as I mentioned to you the different disaster-assistance programs, but frankly, if we have those resources for strengthening conservation and some other rural energy programs, that will put us in a much better position to be able to move forward on the Farm Bill. Otherwise, we’re going to be looking for ways to be creative, but there is no automatic place to go. We will be looking at the same baseline that we have right now.”

Climate-smart agriculture should be an important part of the next farm bill, but it’s going to take funds to do that.

“I believe there are several reasons why we need to do this in terms of what we’ve dubbed this climate-smart agriculture, but certainly, part of that is supporting what farmers want in terms of doing more around conservation. And we are not going to be able to meet that need if we’re not able to do this. So, I’m very hopeful we’ll be able to get this done.”

In the last two farm bills, the Senate has rejected House cuts to the Nutrition Title.  Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member John Boozman isn’t sure what to expect when it comes to nutrition in the new farm bill, especially given the increase in food prices.

“I have no idea what that’s going to look like. Again, I’m a co-chair of the hunger caucus. I’m very involved in the nutrition programs in the school they’ve got, especially now,  with inflation rising. The other problem they’ve got is because of the so strict nutrition standards, nobody makes the food that they have to serve. So, we’re dealing with a lot of issues like that. Again, we just need to use some common sense and try and work it out.”

Because of high fertilizer prices and inflation, Boozman says one thing that has to remain in the Commodity Title is the farm safety net.

“Well, I think the world looks very different now than it did when we wrote the last title, so I’m not sure exactly how we’re going to get it worked out. But right now, I think it’s fair to say that the safety nets are not adequate for the situation that we’re in today. Now, who knows what it’ll look like a year from now, as we are finalizing things. I think it’s difficult to tell because none of us predicted being in the situation that we’re in now. Certainly, I think everybody’s going to be working good site to make sure that the safety nets are in place. If not, then farmers are going to have a very tough time getting loans. And we’re so blessed that we’ve got the cheapest, safest food supply, you all know this better than anybody, and we need to protect that, so, I think there’s a willingness. As far as where you get the money while the Santa’s see what’s going on.”

Agri-Pulse held the 2022 Ag & Food Policy Summit at the National Press Club in Washington, DC Monday.